My tutor, co-teacher, friend, and Khmer father

Always an artist during our tutoring sessions

Sam Ang is somewhat of a renaissance man. I met him my first week at site as a suggested tutor from a former volunteer at my site. His command of the English language was astounding as was his vast vocabulary. His resume includes teaching at the Regional Teacher Training Center, Director of a Primary School, private tutor to anyone who requests his help, English Teacher, NGO Consultant, Author/Historian (has written one book about the history of Ba Phnom – his hometown and a biography coming soon), Co-Founder of a traditional Khmer Dancing organization, Houdini at escaping death (31 times mostly during the Khmer Rouge), fisherman, water-bearer (walked miles to get water for his family), and many more jobs I’m not even aware of. Not only did he tutor me, but he introduced me to one of his free private classes which I soon took on co-teaching with him. Over the last year, he has been a consistent presence in my life, someone to ask any and all language questions, cultural confusions, teaching frustrations and reassuring company. He is a great teacher who cares about each of his students and has been offering free private classes in Prey Veng town since 1996. He would commute here from his hometown 30 kilometers every week and stay here, away from his family, to serve his students. Last week, he told his students that he would no longer be coming as it was time to dedicate his attention to his family. His daughter was married earlier in the year to a Khmer-American (the wedding he asked me to participate in as a bridesmaid) and he and his wife were getting the opportunity to visit her in the Boston area this summer. I felt the sadness and tears of the students who were losing probably the best English teacher they’ve had or will have the opportunity to learn from.  I also would miss him undoubtedly, but it was hard to grasp what these students were losing. I will definitely miss our conversations and time together, but I can find another tutor and like all things in Cambodia, I will adapt to the change as a short time resident of this community. He is an embodiment of continual learning which is something not often valued in Khmer culture. He uses every interaction with his English speaking students to learn new words and phrases. He always has reference books and dictionaries handy to learn words he has yet to encounter. He tirelessly works for a better quality of life for his family.

The wall in his classroom where he writes down vocabulary he learns

At 63 years old, he never stops, waking up at 5 am (or earlier) everyday to write, work on his farms, teach or whatever else comes his way.

Visiting Sam Ang in Ba Phnom

I asked some of his students to describe why Sam Ang is important to them. This is what they said (with some edits for grammar by me):

“He asked me to show my ability to my classmates. He made me know who I am…He would travel far from his family in order to teach us. If he could keep teaching me, my destiny would be brilliant. He always makes me feel happy even if he’s in the USA or any particular place.”

“He’s a strict person also, when he is angry. So all of his students love him and miss him when he goes. He’s very friendly and funny with his students and other people.”

“I was a lazy student before, but when I came to study with him, my habits changed…He’s a highly knowledgeable teacher and his high morality.”

“Sometimes when he is sick, he still teaches me if he can. I also learn from him about living. He never blames me when I did something wrong, he always corrects me…I learn a lot about history of Cambodia from him. I think he is the best teacher.”

“I think that teacher Sam Ang is very important for me. Why I say like that? Because he is a best teacher. And he always gives a lot of advice for me, taught grammar, gave new information to me, encourage me all the time, taught about social fabrics of today and pronunciation like a native. One more thing is he always respects time, respects other and himself all of the time. And he is a man of his word.”

With a couple students in front of his classroom, he's been teaching here since 1996